The present invention is a single patient isolation pod. The inventive pod is for transport of a patient and provides convertibility between a mode protecting the patient against undesired additional exposure to a hazardous environment and a mode protecting against contamination of others by the isolated patient.
There are many devices and structures available in the art for isolating a patient for protection against additional exposure to a hazardous environment while monitoring the patient as well as isolating the potentially infectious patient from caregivers to prevent exposure and/or contamination. Many such devices are directed to use in an individual patient who is exposed to ambient contamination from for example, chemical, biological, infectious agent, environmental, and radiation sources. NBC patient wraps (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) are currently available to medical and military personnel but do not contemplate or provide for access to a wrapped patient by healthcare providers. After applying a conventional chemical wrap, only the face and some of the neck of a patient is visible and readily accessible to the caregiver. Such wraps incorporate relatively unsophisticated boundary barriers and are most commonly used in xe2x80x9cHot Patient/Cold Environmentxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cHot Patientxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cHot Environmentxe2x80x9d situations. Much more secure, expensive and unwieldy are microbiological containment systems directed to use with Level 4 biohazards, such as the Vickers Isolette, a containment system used by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases Aeromedical Isolation Team. Not only is the Vickers Isolette unit expensive, but as is typical of the contemplated functionality of such units, it particularly contemplates a xe2x80x9cHot Patient/Cold Environmentxe2x80x9d scenario.
Another prior art device, one intended to prevent further harm to a casualty from exposure to a xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d environment is the transportable life support system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,151. That device, a mobile intensive care for acute management of trauma victims, is highly electronic with sophisticated patient monitoring and environmental control capabilities and is intended for transport of individual casualty, military field.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,081 also describes an individual patient, self-contained, transportable life support system. That prior art device contemplates isolation of a patient from a xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d environment as well as isolation of a xe2x80x9chot patientxe2x80x9d from caregivers particularly during transport. The system incorporates substantial and sophisticated electronic monitoring and patient environment controls which are sealed within a chamber established by a transparent, rigid canopy, sealed in an airtight manner to the supporting base. The system includes a self-contained oxygen generator to dispense with the need for communication of air between the isolation chamber and the ambient environment.
A further example of a containment/isolation system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,121. This device is directed specifically for isolation of a xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d item/contaminant, e.g., biohazards, infectious cadavers, etc. and contemplates use for transport thereof. More particularly, the structure of the device is established by affixing in a tubular form flexible, transparent, plastic sheeting to comprising flaps/portions including edges sealable with ZIP LOC(copyright) closures and incorporating cuffs to receive and retain flexible rods that establish a supporting frame. The resulting enclosure provides a shielded isolation chamber. As disclosed, the isolation device may include access ports incorporating gloves suitable for the intended purpose of the device as well as sealable sample pouches, integrated waste pouches, etc. Although the isolation unit may include iris ports for insertion and removal of articles from the chamber, consistent with the purpose of the unit, it does not disclose or contemplate provisions for maintaining a live patient.
The prior art also contains numerous disclosures of xe2x80x9cCold Patientxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cHot Environmentxe2x80x9d protective suits used throughout the military and civilian complexes. However, such suits are not configured to provide a system of connections/switches/valves to provide for nearly instantaneous selection and convertibility between one or the other needs. Furthermore, the prior art does not present a single isolation device capable of use in any of the various scenarios:
Hot Patient/Hot Environment;
Hot Patient/ Cold Environment; and
Cold Patient/Hot Environment.
By selecting the appropriate locations relative to the pod of this invention for structures such as the xe2x80x9cglove-boxxe2x80x9d gloves permits the caregiver ready access to the isolated patient for important interventions such as advanced airway management, regardless of the particular environment of the caregivers. Likewise, the prudent location of the blower unit/control valves/ also ensures against contaminant saturation particularly around the patient""s face and minimizes contamination saturation in xe2x80x9cdead zonesxe2x80x9d commonly found in the use of chemical wraps. Furthermore, patient isolation can be achieved rapidly and easily with the invention which contemplates the use of an air impermeable zipper(s) that allows for the patient to be isolated once sealed. Furthermore, the pod according to this invention may include handles (plastic, fabric, etc.) integrated with the patient support to facilitate patient manipulation particularly in the case of field use in a hostile environment without the need of ancillary equipment such as a stretcher.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an individual patient contamination isolation pod that overcomes problems and improves over the teachings of the prior art.
It is also an object of this invention to provide effective short term, emergency patient isolation for either Hot Patient/Cold Environment and Cold Patient/Hot Environment.
The invention provides a patient isolation system that permits health care providers relatively unencumbered access to the isolated patient.
It is an object of the invention to improve delivery of advance medical procedures and airway management.
It is another object of the invention to provide a pod with a convertible ventilation system that is easily reconfigured by use of one way airway valves disposed at each end of the pod.
Another object of this invention is to provide an emergency, short-term, single patient, isolation pod utilizing lightweight materials and airtight sealing.
These and other objects of the invention are satisfied by an isolation pod for an individual patient, comprising:
a flexible, transparent air impermeable sheet like member defining at least a first and second end, said first end and said second end being spaced apart, said sheet-like member including a first and a second edge, said first edge area defining a first member of a cooperating sealing element and said second edge area defining a second member of said cooperating sealing element where contacting said first and second edges establish said cooperating sealing element to provide an airtight seal, said first end incorporating a first integrated selectively sealed grommet, said grommet defining an opening and sealed with a one way flow directional valve for directing air flow into the pod and said end including a second end incorporating a second integrated selectively sealed grommet defining an opening and sealed with a one way flow directional valve for directing air flow out of the pod, each of said grommet openings having select cross-sectional dimensions;
an air blower including an elongated nozzle having a cross-sectional dimension corresponding to that of said grommet openings, said nozzle being insertable into said grommet openings for establishing an airtight seal therewith, said air blower having an air port configured to receive and retain an air filter said air blower for selectively communicating filtered air with respect to the interior of the pod.
Still other objects of the invention are provided by a method of isolating an individual patient from the ambient environment comprising the steps of:
determining the status of the patient;
placing the patient in a sealable pod;
sealably securing a select filter on an air blower;
securing the air blower in an aperture selected on the basis of the status of the patient;
activating the air blower for unidirectional airflow into, through, and out of the pod; and
sealing the patient within the pod.
Based on these capabilities, the invention herein is readily operational in virtually any ambient environment and provides for utilization in both hot (contaminated) and cold environments with patients that are hot (contaminated or infectious) or have been exposed to a hot environment.
In part, owing to its ability to provide patient containment and isolation (relative to both the patient""s environment and that of the caregiver), the invention has particular utility in rescue and lifesaving operations involving a wide range of transport (aircraft, land vehicles, hospital gurneys, etc.). Furthermore, the invention is lightweight, compact, and easily stored in a minimum of space and thereby allows for convenient storage when not in use but ready accessibility to rescue personnel upon need. Consequently, the invention provides multiple benefits permitting low cost, compact storage, easy on-site deployment, effective and efficient patient isolation using minimal space and minimal time, and providing quick configuration to meet the particular isolation requirements of the scenario and disposability.
The invention herein provides for enhanced isolation and treatment system reliability and maintainability while simultaneously minimizing risk of additional injury to both the patient and the caregiving personnel. Additionally, the invention herein, when used properly, reduces the risk of unnecessary contamination of others (particularly where an infectious agent is involved) during medical treatment. The invention design contemplates provision of both effective individual patient isolation and engineering to provide access to the isolated patient and ease of operation by providing sufficient clearance to permit advanced airway manipulation and other medically necessary procedures to occur.
The inventive isolation pod described herein provides a system that meets demanding patient isolation operational requirements, for example, isolation of a casualty resulting from nuclear, biological and/or chemical contamination.
In short, the invention herein, is directed particularly to a convertible, easily deployable, single patient, lightweight, inexpensive, disposable, patient isolation pod providing both maximum transportability and patient isolation while requiring minimum storage space.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. This embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.